OPB reports that Alexa, a 21-year-old Portland State University student, said she became homeless after coming out as transgender and being kicked out of her North Carolina home. She has begun attending classes but, according to OPB, had not yet learned whether she would receive financial aid.
OPB reports that FAFSA generally requires parental financial information for most undergraduate students under 24; an application is incomplete without it, and supporting oneself does not automatically qualify a student as independent under federal aid rules. Rebecca Reilly of Portland’s New Avenues for Youth told OPB she frequently sees LGBTQ+ young adults encounter FAFSA barriers.
